The truck bed of the Tesla Cybertruck that exploded on New Year's Day at a Trump hotel in Las Vegas was full of gasoline, camping gas, and large-scale fireworks. The man who died in the explosion had a gunshot wound that appears to be self-inflicted, according to the police.
We discovered through the coroner that the person had received a gunshot wound to the head before the vehicle exploded, said Kevin McMahill, sheriff in Las Vegas, at a press conference.
Not Identified
Two pistols have been found in the car, as well as a passport, military ID card, and an iPhone. The man has not been identified, but the identification documents and a tattoo on his body suggest that it is a 37-year-old man from Colorado, according to McMahill.
He was an American soldier who belonged to the army's special forces, the Green Berets, and served at the military facility previously known as Fort Bragg in the state of North Carolina, now Fort Liberty, according to the army in a statement.
He had been in active service since 2006 and had served in, among other places, Afghanistan and Tajikistan. When he died, he was on a leave of absence approved by the army.
Lacking Motive
There are no signs that the act had any connection to terrorist organizations, according to the FBI.
We currently have no information that suggests it came from any particular ideology, says FBI agent Spencer Evans.
But the fact that it was a Tesla that was used, and that it was parked at a hotel owned by the incoming President Donald Trump, still means that possible political motives are being investigated.
Drove Around in Vegas
Cameras and witnesses in the gaming city in Nevada have clarified that the driver drove around along the iconic main street Las Vegas Boulevard, often called "The Strip", a good while before the car approached the hotel whose golden facade bears Trump's name on New Year's morning.
The vehicle drove right up to the hotel's glass entrance and smoke poured out of it. A large explosion then occurred in the vehicle, said Kevin McMahill.
Seven people near the car were injured by the blast, but McMahill says that the fact that the explosives were placed on the truck bed limited the explosion effect around it.
The fact that it was a Cybertruck limited the damage to the hotel entrance, since the explosion was directed upwards.
